West Midland MP Julie Kirkbride has warned against restricting access to abortions, as MPs prepare to debate a potential change in the law.

Miss Kirkbride (Con Bromsgrove) urged ministers to protect the "right to choose" to have an abortion.

She was speaking as pro-life MPs launched a fresh drive to cut the upper limit from 24 to 20 weeks.

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries said scientific advances had proved babies as young as 20 weeks felt pain and could survive outside the womb. A former nurse, Ms Dorries is tabling an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill that would lower the upper limit for "social" abortions. She claims to have the support of almost 200 MPs.

But the Government and the British Medical Association have rejected calls for the time restrictions to be tightened, insisting scientific evidence did not justify it.

Miss Kirkbride was speaking in the Commons after Health Minister Ann Keen told MPs there were 59,687 repeat abortions in 2006, the latest year for which figures are available.

Pro-life groups argue that the high number of repeat abortions suggest some women see abortion as just another form of contraception.

But Miss Kirkbride told her: "I am sure the Minister would agree that the number of repeat abortions is extremely disappointing, bearing in mind the likely impact on the health of the ladies involved.

"She will also be aware . . . that for some people the number of repeat abortions is a good reason to tighten up on abortion laws and deny women the right to choose.

"Does she agree with me that, while it is regrettable that there are so many repeat abortions, that should still be permissible?"

Ms Keen said the Government would urge health trusts to promote long-acting reversible contraception as a way of reducing abortion numbers. These include implants which are placed under a person’s skin and slowly release chemicals which prevent conception, which can be effective for three years.

In October, the Science and Technology Committee issued a report calling for women to be given easier access to abortions. It found no scientific justification for lowering the current 24-week legal limit, saying women were experiencing unnecessary delays.

MPs also called for the current requirement for two doctors to sign forms before an abortion could go ahead to be scrapped. And they said nurses and midwives with suitable training and professional guidance should not be prevented from carrying out all stages of early medical abortions and early surgical abortions. The Department of Health yesterday published a study which suggested abortions could be offered at community contraceptive centres, cottage hospitals and health centres.

The results of two pilot studies suggested women liked the "informality" and increased availability of support from staff in non-traditional settings.

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said the ministers would now consult on whether there is demand for such a service outside traditional hospital settings and how it could be best implemented.

Currently, abortions can only be performed in a hospital in an NHS trust, primary care trust or foundation trust, or in an approved independent sector place, such as a private clinic.